whirling disease

noun

whirl·​ing disease ˈ(h)wər-liŋ- How to pronounce whirling disease (audio)
: an infectious often fatal disease especially of young salmonid fishes (such as trout and salmon) that is caused by a protozoan (Myxobolus cerebralis synonym Myxosoma cerebralis) and is marked by skeletal deformities and a tendency to swim in circles

Examples of whirling disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Virginia has euthanized 40,000 trout after recent testing detected whirling disease among catchable-sized fish, officials said. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2023 The organism then made the leap to both wild and farmed trout across the American west, causing what’s known as whirling disease. Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2012 Rainbow trout once ruled the fishery but were wiped out by whirling disease in the 1990s. Matt Wyatt, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Sep. 2021 Yellow Creek, a river bisecting the property that was once one of the best trout fisheries in the state, has been infected by a pathogen that causes whirling disease, which is deadly to native trout. Spencer Silva, SFChronicle.com, 24 June 2019 At least two diseases made the list: white nose syndrome, which infects bats, and whirling disease, which attacks fish. Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whirling disease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whirling disease was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near whirling disease

Cite this Entry

“Whirling disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whirling%20disease. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

whirling disease

noun
whirl·​ing disease ˈhwər(-ə)l-iŋ- How to pronounce whirling disease (audio) ˈwər(-ə)l- How to pronounce whirling disease (audio)
: an infectious often fatal disease of salmonid fish (as trout and salmon) that is caused by a protozoan (Myxobolus cerebralis synonym Myxosoma cerebralis) of the order Myxosporidia which attacks cartilage of the head and spinal cord especially of young fish and that causes the fish to swim in circles and is marked by skeletal deformities
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